Hispanic Caucus Terms of Reference

Owned by Former user (Deleted)
04-Mar-2018
5 min read

 

Notes: 1) For the purposes of this document, the term “Hispanic” is meant to apply to any United States citizen self-identifying as Hispanic, Latino, Chicano, Puerto Rican, mixed race/mestizo, or of any other ethnic origin/ancestry originating from Spain or Latin America.

 

In virtually every American community there exists a Hispanic presence. Some serve in the U.S. Armed Forces, some save lives in hospitals, others educate America’s children. Millions are voters. Policymakers and elected office holders can no longer deny the rising voice of Hispanics. The Democratic Party has acknowledged and embraced this reality while others have slowly come to terms with these facts. Democrats Abroad (DA) recognizes the following:

 

17% of the current U.S. population is Hispanic;

By 2024, 20% of the American workforce will be Hispanic;

13% of the U.S. Armed Forces are Hispanic;

Of the current 323 million Americans, 27.3 million Hispanics are eligible voters;

 

The Democrats Abroad Hispanic Caucus is made up of DA members from around the world who are willing and able to advocate on issues important to the Hispanic community within the United States of America and those living abroad. The Caucus will accept any DA member.

  

Purpose

 

The purpose of the DA Hispanic Caucus (DAHC) is to provide a forum for all DA members to better understand the issues and concerns affecting the U.S. Hispanic community, to help engage with U.S. Hispanic voters living abroad and ensure that their needs are met within the DA community, and, where needed, to advocate for reforms to political issues.

 

Mission Statement

 

  • To support and defend the U.S. Constitution and the goals and ideals of the Democratic Party and Democrats Abroad
  • To advocate on issues of concern to the U.S. Hispanic community
  • To be a pro-Hispanic voice for U.S. citizens living abroad
  • To support campaigns of Hispanic nominees running for elected office in the U.S.

 

Goals

 

Long-term goals of DAHC:

  • grow its membership
  • grow its Spanish-speaking leadership within Latin America and elsewhere
  • recognize, celebrate, and educate others on significant contributions of Hispanic-Americans
  • liaise through DA DNC Members with the DNC Hispanic Caucus
  • become a trusted source for Democrats Abroad on issues impacting Hispanic-Americans

 

Short-term goals of DAHC:

  • identify advocates in the Hispanic community who can help with messaging on joining and supporting Democrats Abroad, and voting from abroad
  • identify Spanish-speaking volunteers who can help with Spanish language GOTV efforts (phone banking and voter help desk support)
  • Assist Democrats Abroad with fundraising to provide funds for Spanish language pages on both the DA website and VotefromAbroad.org
  • identify untapped communities in Latin America where Hispanic-Americans congregate
  • encourage its members and other U.S. registered voters who are eligible to vote in every special election in 2017 to exercise their right to vote;
  • monitor the voting record of the members of the 115th Congress
  • assist Americans living abroad, including dual-citizens, in registering to vote in preparation for the 2018 congressional mid-term elections, providing information in Spanish if necessary, and advising them of their right to vote

 

 

Responsibilities

 

DAHC shall:

  • meet regularly
  • organize work and delegate responsibilities
  • report to the DA International Chairperson and/or the International Executive Committee at regular intervals;
  • coordinate with other DA caucuses and councils
  • report on its actions to DPCA leaders at regular intervals;
  • create a dedicated webpage on the Democrats Abroad website
  • utilize  social media;
  • urge its membership and all U.S. citizens both domestically and abroad, to vote in all U.S.-based elections when eligible to do so;
  • from time to time review and update DAHC’s Terms of Reference
  • perform its work within the scope of Democrats Abroad

 

Issues

 

The following are priority issues for the DAHC:

 

Voting Rights

In order to build a stronger and more inclusive democracy, DAHC believes in protecting the sacred right to vote, especially from abroad, in addition to rejecting unreasonable voter restrictions, reforming the absentee ballot system to allow for a more efficient process, and expanding bilingual voting materials and instructions.

 

Immigration

The United States is a thriving nation consisting of a beautiful mosaic of ethnic and cultural diversity. However, nearly every U.S. politician, non-governmental organization, law enforcement agency, and others believe that the current American immigration system is currently broken. DAHC believes that comprehensive immigration reform is needed to keep families together, protect American workers, provide a strict but compassionate pathway for the undocumented to come out of the shadows and enter legal residency status including DACAs and DREAMers, secure and enhance our borders, and grow our economy.

 

Education

For millions of Hispanic-Americans, getting a quality education is simply unrealistic through no fault of their own. In the near future, the U.S. labor force will need more skilled workers in several S.T.E.M.M. fields and increasing funding to K-12 schools, community colleges, professional and technical schools, universities, research organizations and Hispanic-serving institutions will mean more Hispanic-Americans contributing to the American economy. DAHC fully supports measures to secure equal opportunity for academic achievement. DAHC believes all Americans should have the chance to accomplish academic scholarship and industry-readiness job preparation to meet the demands of the future.

 

Other Issues

 

Congressional Americans Abroad Caucus – DAHC encourages all Members of Congress to join (or re-join) this bipartisan caucus as it provides a forum discuss issues affecting American expatriates.

 

Congressional Hispanic Caucus – DAHC encourages all Democratic Hispanic members of Congress to join (or re-join) this caucus for the purpose of a unified voice in Congress advocating for policies to improve the lives and well-being of Hispanic-Americans.

 

Diverse leadership positions – DAHC supports inclusion of diverse leadership within Democrats Abroad, the DNC, and among U.S. elected officials, to more accurately  reflect the general U.S. population.

 

Strategy

 

DAHC shall:

  • encourage its own members, DA members, other Democrats, Democratic-leaning U.S. citizens, and other U.S. voters home and abroad to support Democratic interests and the well being of the U.S. Hispanic community;
  • post on social media items relevant to the direct interests of DAHC, including such items as promoting the Hispanic Caucus, encouraging American abroad to join DA, reminding new U.S. citizens to register to vote, reminding all U.S. citizens to exercise their right to vote, opposing legislation harmful to Hispanic-American interests, and so forth;
  • monitor other organizations’ actions advocating in support of (or in opposition to) issues or legislation affecting the U.S. Hispanic community; and
  • consider the impact and policy recommendations of scientific research as it relates to the U.S. Hispanic community.

 

Structure

 

Confirmed membership in DAHC shall be restricted to members of Democrats Abroad.

 

DAHC shall operate under the supervision of a chairperson (or co-chairs) who, in turn, shall:

  • consult with the Democrats Abroad International Chair/ExCom as necessary
  • organize caucus meetings
  • ensure DAHC membership records are regularly updated within a DA-held database, checked for accuracy, protected for privacy, and backed-up for safe-keeping
  • from time to time survey DAHC membership;
  • send a DAHC representative to Democrats Abroad Global Meetings.

 

______________________

Julia Bryan (Czech Republic)

DA INTERNATIONAL CHAIR

DNC REPRESENTATIVE

FOUNDING MEMBER EX-OFFICIO

DA HISPANIC CAUCUS

 

______________________

Kenneth Sherman (Canada)

DNC REPRESENTATIVE

DA INTERNATIONAL CHAIR, FORMER

FOUNDING MEMBER

DA HISPANIC CAUCUS

______________________

Orlando Vidal (Chair, United Arab Emirates)

DNC REPRESENTATIVE

DA INTERNATIONAL COUNSEL, FORMER

FOUNDING MEMBER

DA HISPANIC CAUCUS

 

_____________________

Lissette Wright (Treasurer, Canada)

DA INTERNATIONAL TREASURER

FOUNDING MEMBER

DA HISPANIC CAUCUS

 
______________________

Kathryn Solon (Germany)

DA INTERNATIONAL CHAIR, FORMER

FOUNDING MEMBER

DA HISPANIC CAUCUS

 

______________________

Jody Quinnell (Mexico)

DA REGIONAL VICE CHAIR, AMERICAS

FOUNDING MEMBER

DA HISPANIC CAUCUS

 

______________________

Nelleke Bruyn (Costa Rica)

FOUNDING MEMBER

DA HISPANIC CAUCUS

______________________

Larry Pihl (Chair, Mexico)

FOUNDING MEMBER

DA HISPANIC CAUCUS

______________________

Sam Stone (Secretary, Mexico)

DA INTERNATIONAL DEPUTY COUNSEL

FOUNDING MEMBER

DA HISPANIC CAUCUS

 

______________________

Yolanda Rinaldo (Chair, Mazatlán, Mexico)

FOUNDING MEMBER

DA HISPANIC CAUCUS

______________________

John Chudy (Chair, Guatemala)

FOUNDING MEMBER

DA HISPANIC CAUCUS

______________________

Felipe Reinoso (Peru)

FOUNDING MEMBER

DA HISPANIC CAUCUS


______________________

Luis Ore (Chair, Peru)

FOUNDING MEMBER

DA HISPANIC CAUCUS

______________________

Gil Carbajal (Counsel, Spain)

FOUNDING MEMBER

DA HISPANIC CAUCUS

 

______________________

Kathy Rothschild (Chair, Costa Rica)

FOUNDING MEMBER

DA HISPANIC CAUCUS

______________________

Ana Hernandez Blackstad (Czech Republic)

FOUNDING MEMBER

DA HISPANIC CAUCUS

 

______________________

Penny Ireland (Ecuador)

FOUNDING MEMBER

DA HISPANIC CAUCUS

______________________

Eric Jackson (Chair, Panama)

FOUNDING MEMBER

DA HISPANIC CAUCUS

 

______________________

Phil Edemonston (Former Chair, Panama)

FOUNDING MEMBER

DA HISPANIC CAUCUS

______________________

Maria-Elena O’Rourke (Chair, Dominican Republic)

FOUNDING MEMBER

DA HISPANIC CAUCUS

 

______________________

Felipe Manteiga (Vice Chair, Dominican Republic)

FOUNDING MEMBER

DA HISPANIC CAUCUS

______________________

Stephanie Rivera (Dominican Republic)

FOUNDING MEMBER

DA HISPANIC CAUCUS

______________________

Melanie Garcia (Dominican Republic)

FOUNDING MEMBER

DA HISPANIC CAUCUS

______________________

Luis Jimenez (Dominican Republic)

FOUNDING MEMBER

DA HISPANIC CAUCUS

 

______________________

Thomas Lopez (Australia)

FOUNDING MEMBER

DA HISPANIC CAUCUS

______________________

David Gonzalez (Australia)

FOUNDING MEMBER

DA HISPANIC CAUCUS

 

______________________

Lindsay Vidal (France)

FOUNDING MEMBER

DA HISPANIC CAUCUS

 

______________________

Michael Ramos (Australia)

FOUNDING MEMBER

DA HISPANIC CAUCUS

 

______________________

Alexander Gonzalez (Chair, Japan)

FOUNDING MEMBER

DA HISPANIC CAUCUS

The following macros are not currently supported in the footer:
  • style